NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hairy Minotaur" data-source="post: 4207679" data-attributes="member: 11574">A thorn is removedAs the rest of the party gathered in the keep’s common area awaiting Adokul’s arrival to lead them to a promised treasure hoard, Menthos and Doopa waited in Aleena’s quarters for the result of Statinistor’s experiment. The drab morning was broken up by the grating voice of a veteran solider.“Where is Menthos!” Gorn shouts as he shoves his way purposely through the loitering party, he receives shrugs and empty stares.“Arrest them all on suspicion.” Gorn orders his contingent of keep guards“What? What did I do?” Eeyore asks“Suspicion of what?” Dahlgren inquires“Suspicion of pissin’ me off.” Gorn snaps his forearm at the party and the guards move in to shackle the party.Satisfied with his morning accomplishment, Gorn storms off towards the priest area of the keep to find Menthos. He makes immediately for Aleena’s former quarters and discovers his quarry there.“You’re under arrest for attempted rioting, screaming intruder and sending the whole keep into a panic, what did you think would happen?” Gorn declares while motioning to his guards to arrest Doopa.Doopa hefts his weapon up ready to fight off the men, “Take it easy there ogre, I’ll knock knee you into a Hoblin.” Gorn states“Hoblin?” Menthos questions“Like a goblin but more lame, maybe you ain’t got the message ‘bout Aleena’s leave of absence. When she ain’t here I’m in charge.” Gorn replies“So it’s your fault security was breached by an assassin last night, I’m sure the keep will sleep more comfortable knowing they’re under the ever vigilant eye of a blind person.” Menthos responds “Funny man are ya?” Gorn says as he approaches the warlock, “You’d sound a lot funnier beggin’ fer mercy.” Gorn shoves his knee into Menthos’ crotch and then smashes his mace in the same spot to drive home his point.Menthos collapses to the floor and empties his stomach contents over Gorn’s boots.“That’s gonna cost ya.” Gorn uttersDoopa whips his weapon around and batters three guards into the wall, he turns to face the remaining eight guards as Gorn throws a small cube onto the floor beneath the barbarian. Doopa’s attention is diverted long enough to see the cube expand rapidly and encase him in a small room of force.“I told ya ogre, you’re gonna learn respect from a dwarf if it takes me killin’ it out of ya.” Gorn declares“Perhaps you should be taught respect to properly learn the meaning of the word?” a voice behind Menthos challenges“Eh, who’s hiding back there, get out here now ‘fore I drag you out through your own puke.” Gorn demands“I have a much better idea.” With the flick of his wrist the cage around Doopa disappears and in the span of two seconds, several guards used their eyes to widen in disbelief for the last time. The man stepped forward to stand next to the hunched Menthos, Doopa thought he saw Adokul for a brief moment but the man’s features were all wrong. Short yellow horns protruded from the man’s hairless scalp. The man’s complexion  was somewhere between rotting flesh and burnt hair, his smile was a razor filled field of pain as his teeth came to impossibly sharp points. “So’s ya want to fight do ya?” Gorn offers as he steps in to swing at the newcomer. Then the room went dark, pitch black and Gorn missed wildly with his swing.Doopa found it easy picking off the struggling guards as they stumbled blindly in the darkness. Gorn swung again and again but only managed to get winded in the effort.“Come out here and fight like a man.” Gorn challenges“I believe you’ve got one heck of an inferiority complex, luckily I have just the thing to correct that character flaw of yours.” The newcomer statesWith the utterance of a string of arcane words the spell was cast and Adokul slapped Gorn across the face to deliver the spell. The darkness was lifted and the now fiendish Adokul helped Menthos to his feet as Doopa scanned the room for more victims and spotted the fleeing female goblin and began to chase her down.“Adokul?” Menthos spits out.“Yes, thanks to you and the glory of Kador, I have been remade on the forge of fire into something better, stronger, faster.” Adokul explains“Impressive.” Statinistor’s voice intoned from the flame gate, “You have brought a most worthy addition to our ranks Menthos, and you have my thanks. Your deed shall not go unrecognized, I will personally see to it that you are properly bequeathed.”“I live to serve.” Menthos answered“Yes, as do I thanks to your compassion Menthos. Come let us go find some non-believers to immolate.” Adokul responds and heads for the door.Menthos turns back to the image of Statinistor.“Something else you wish to ask of me?” Statinistor inquiresMenthos pauses and sighs deeply, before answering, “No I guess not.”By the time Adokul and Menthos reach the common area, Doopa is chasing the new Gorn in a circle around the chained party while Eeyore bemoans his fate.“Hear me out oh commoners of Kindoras. For I have done nothing to deserve to be treated with such thoughtlessness. I demand the local barrister be called to adjudicate my case.” Eeyore calls out“Help me, someone get the ogre off my back!” Gorn squeals as he races around the circle of prisonersThe keep guards are unsure what to make of the situation, Gorn and the guards who went with him, haven’t returned and the people he went to go arrest are walking free.“Release them and I will get the six hundred pound gorilla off your back.” Adokul offers“Fine, anything. Do as he says!” Gorn shouts, but his guards who have been trained against magical attacks, dismiss the female goblin’s rants as the cries of a savage.Gorn’s new form quickly tires and the more robust Doopa catches up to him and pounds the creature into goop ending Gorn’s life. A wry smile crosses Adokul’s lips as the abyssally connected creature finds the conclusion amusing. Aust frees himself and with the help of Doopa they free the rest of the group, this puts the guards on alert and they brandish weapons.“Hear me loyals of Kindoras, Gorn’s faith faltered in the face of his lord Kador. His death was long and painful as he saw the end closing in on him. Do not tread upon the ground he walked, you must find your own path through the fire and be reborn upon the forge of Kador as I have been. I assure you that the pyromancers will assume stewardship of this keep until a more suitable person can be found to continue its rise to glory and affect happenings in the southern Majestics. I trust that you will grant Kador’s will in this.” Adokul speaks to the amassed keep.His words inspiring hope among the fanatical, Adokul motions for the party to follow him out of the keep, “Let us go and claim the riches I promised you, as I will correct an individual who was sloppy last night. His failure will need to be addressed.”The party heads off to the southwest as Xanthos races back from Highcastle to intercept them and have it out with Menthos. Xanthos reaches the party an hour from their destination, Xanthos dives in at Menthos hoping to get his attention if his moves, or preferably knock him into a new climate zone. The warlock spots the diving bird and manages to dodge its main body while receiving two claw marks across his face. Xanthos lands, transforms and gets in the warlock’s face.“What did you do to Haimish?” Xanthos demands“I did nothing to him, he took the orb of his own volition.” Menthos answers“You sent him back to the school to die!” Xanthos responds and slaps the taste out of Menthos’ mouth. “Hold friend, I assure you that whatever you feel Haimish is doomed to go through, was meant to happen. You must have faith in the divine course of free will.” Adokul intervenesXanthos turns to face this new addressor, his other senses beyond sight tell him the man before him is Adokul, “what happened to you?”“I have been reborn through the fires on the forge of Kador.” Adokul responds“Oh no, not another one. I’ll deal with the charm person spell he put on you in a moment.” Xanthos retorts“There is no spell to counter, I am who I am and I have Menthos to thank for it. Perhaps a discussion in what drives your passion is in order?” Adokul answers“Back away flame boy, this is between me and the liar.” Xanthos remarks“I can offer you salvation and a part of the eternal flame of Kador.” Adokul replies“You have nothing I want nor desire.” Xanthos answers“You are incorrect, are you aware that forest fires clear the underbrush of dead and ground clogging debris to bring about a new growth of plant life. For without the cleansing fire your forest would choke itself and die. You need me more than you think you do.” Adokul counters“Haimish took the orb to buy us time. Our enemy is an ancient mummy with many enemies. This diversion that Haimish goes to create will allow us to get close to him and strike while his resources are diverted.” Menthos states“Oh for the sweet price of ignorance there but I depart.” Aust offers</blockquote>

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